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Doctor Jeff, Cat Veterinarian

Category: Cat

Satisfied Customers: 4589

Experience: Small Animal General Practitioner and Practice owner. 8+ years of practice

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Hello,
I think my 6 year old cat might have an upper respiratory

Customer Question

Hello,I think my 6 year old cat might have an upper respiratory infection. She's sneezing, slight clear discharge fromfrom one of her nostrils and has a cough like sound too. What's confusing me is that she's an indoor cat so I don't know where she could have picked it up from and my other cats are fine. Is it worth a trip to the vets? She's still eating and drinking normally.

Hi, I am Dr. Jeff. I will try to help you. Please feel free to follow up if any more information is needed. The signs you are seeing could stem from allergies, viral infection or bacterial infection. If this is allergies, you may see a benefit to using Benedryl (diphenhydramine) at a dose of 1 mg/lb twice daily. So, a teaspoon of the liquid formulation (12.5 mg/ 5 mL) is usually appropriate for most adult cats. If this is not helping or if the nasal discharge changes to a green or yellow, then a vet visit is recommended. If this is viral, it is up to Dime's immune system to fight it off which could take up to a week or two. If this is bacterial, it will likely require antibiotics. Most of the time the clear nasal discharge is a sign of allergies or virus, while the colored snot is usually a sign of a bacterial infection. This is not always consistent, but it can be a close rule of thumb. I hope this helps and gives you direction.ThanksDr. Jeff

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